Reds legend gives verdict on Trea Turner as Phillies' leadoff hitter over Kyle Schwarber

The Philadelphia Phillies are contemplating making the change at the top of the lineup. As far as a leadoff hitter is concerned, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber remain two options for the team.

Schwarber led off last year for the Phillies with Turner playing in the three-hole. However, statistically, Turner has better overall numbers than Schwarber. Another reason for a shift to Turner to lead off could be because he's more of a contact hitter whereas Schwarber has a good pop up and with runners on board, he could drive in a lot.

Reds legend Sean Casey also loves the idea of Turner going back to the leadoff spot. So far, the shortstop has started six of the eight games he played in the leadoff spot this spring.

"I love it. I love it," Casey said on MLB Network Friday. "I mean, Schwarber, to me, is your typical 3-4 hitter—a guy that can drive the ball out of the ballpark and get some guys on base for him. You get a couple of guys on in the first, and you could be talking about a three-nothing game early on."

The Phillies’ lineup is built for explosive innings, and Casey sees Turner’s speed and veteran presence as a key factor at the top.

"I think Trea Turner has got the speed. He gets on base. He's a veteran guy at the top of that lineup," Casey added.

Finally, Casey shared his verdict.

"Yeah, I think the Kyle Schwarber that he is right now is great for that middle of the lineup," Casey said.

Sean Casey left impressed with Kyle Schwarber vs lefties

One of Kyle Schwarber’s biggest strides in 2024 was his ability to hit left-handed pitching. According to StatMuse, Schwarber batted .300 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs in 248 plate appearances against lefties in 2024.

This left Sean Casey impressed as he said:

"I think Schwarber did a great job last year of making the adjustment to lefties. He was almost better against lefties for a few months, really driving that ball to left-center again—hitting for average and getting on base."

Schwarber's 2024 numbers against left-handed pitching was a stark contrast with his career numbers against them, with him hitting .222 with 55 homers and 159 RBIs in 1,314 plate appearances. This means Schwarber did a lot of work last season to come around that stat.

Let's see if he can sustain this momentum against LHP in 2025 as well.